How do people become eBird reviewers? Are there a set number of positions per area? Do people apply? How can someone know if there is a need in their area?
Diana Beatty El Paso County On Sat, Dec 24, 2022, 2:58 PM David Suddjian <[email protected]> wrote: > I serve both as an eBird reviewer and an addicted user. > > I think a challenge arises when a county or region does not have someone > who is actively reviewing all the records for that area. Then they sit in > the queue, which can grow to 100s and 1000s. The user can't easily tell if > a record was invalidated or is simply not reviewed. Communication is often > lacking. The review queue soon grows very long and it is tedious and hard > or nearly impossible for a reviewer to go back and clear out the backlog > when new records keep coming in. Big backlogs are a problem, I think, as > the data which should help define the filters - that which is popping the > filters - is not reviewed maybe for a long time. > > I believe there are many capable birders who could review effectively > in their familiar counties. JoAnn herself is a good one for Eagle, I'd say. > The historical perspective is important, but most of the reviewing is of > current records and such folks are often aware of the current status and > distribution in their areas to catch something odd, and eBird data reveal > the historical picture to a degree. Whether they would want to review > for eBird, I couldn't say. But how much asking is happening? eBird's core > data quality feature is its filters and the review process, and since > birding and eBirding are growing, it seems the situation can only improve > through having more people actively involved, and more communication. Now > I'll go have fun birding :-) > > I will say thank you here to my home area eBird reviewer Scott Somershoe. > I'm grateful to Scott for staying on top of things with the big review task > here in the busily birded Denver Metro area. And thanks to all the hard > working, labor-of-love (sort of) volunteer reviewers serving eBirders in > Colorado. > > David Suddjian > Ken Caryl Valley > Littelton, CO > > On Sat, Dec 24, 2022 at 6:59 AM Joey Kellner <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Time out everyone. First of all, Happy Holidays to everyone! >> >> We must have a LOT of newer birders in Colorado. I say this because >> “back in the day”, we went birding for the fun of it and we called each >> other with our good bird sightings. Sharing “our” good bird with others >> was enough “confirmation”, we did not need a “reviewer” to validate our >> birding abilities. >> >> Personally, when I find a bird that flags as rare, I document it such >> that an eBird reviewer (tomorrow, next year or next decade) will not need >> to contact me. I attach photographs, sound recordings and/or write a >> *detailed* description OF THE BIRD (not that is flying, or that it is >> perched on a twig, but exactly what it looked like and how it might have >> differed from “the picture in the book”). The description should be >> detailed enough that it stands the “test of time”. A future researcher >> maybe 100 or 200 years from now (that has no idea what your birding >> skill-set was like) can also review your evidence and determine you saw >> what you said you saw. Describe the *bird* *and* then eliminate >> similarly appearing species. THEN, and here’s the *MOST** important >> part*, DON’T LOOK BACK! Move forward, get out for the joy and fun of >> birding, not because you NEED reassurance that you are a good birder or to >> see your name in “lights”, but because birding is FUN! >> >> As for the number of eBird reviewers, these are volunteers and finding >> people that have the historical background of Colorado (and county) birds, >> bird identification skills, *a thick skin* and WANT to do review is >> difficult. In the past we’ve had reviewers that literally accepted just >> about EVERY bird (contrary to the evidence supplied)! I (and likely >> eBird) would want reviewers that can scrutinize a record, make sure a more >> common species was not misidentified and ensure the data is as good as >> possible and that sometimes means not confirming some sightings. Reviewers >> get burned out, some volunteering literally hundreds of hours a year doing >> eBird record and filter reviews. Please don’t get mad at the people >> reviewing your records, it helps no one. They get just as frustrated at >> us birders.* Birders that that don’t read the eBird rules* and submit >> then 30-mile-long checklists, or create a checklist that follows a trail >> through three habitats in the course of 5 hours, or attach a photo to the >> wrong species. It has GOT to be exhausting to be an eBird reviewer! How >> many times have you said, “Thank you” to an eBird reviewer? Then think >> how many times you’ve complained about them? They are doing the best >> they can, trust me, I know many of them. Better to just document the >> heck out of your rare bird, let the birding community know and *move on* >> to more birding fun! >> >> Happy Holidays and I hope everyone can get out and see great birds in the >> new year! >> >> Joey. >> >> Joey Kellner >> >> Littleton, Colorado >> >> >> >> -- >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google >> Groups "Colorado Birds" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en >> * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. >> Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate >> * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ >> --- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "Colorado Birds" group. >> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an >> email to [email protected]. >> To view this discussion on the web visit >> https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/9890905d-5a6e-4a96-bba5-69ea1d27ab12n%40googlegroups.com >> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/9890905d-5a6e-4a96-bba5-69ea1d27ab12n%40googlegroups.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> >> . >> > -- > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > Groups "Colorado Birds" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en > * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include > bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate > * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Colorado Birds" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion on the web visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6Roob%2BGMvkhqtOXZqMb6wBrpShi17ed9NR_ajOhyvhah02g%40mail.gmail.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAGj6Roob%2BGMvkhqtOXZqMb6wBrpShi17ed9NR_ajOhyvhah02g%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/cobirds?hl=en?hl=en * All posts should be signed with the poster's full name and city. Include bird species and location in the subject line when appropriate * Join Colorado Field Ornithologists https://cobirds.org/CFO/Membership/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Colorado Birds" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/cobirds/CAM-_j9t6EO1XTfukBN7UqD-v2j8h67gAdADWya0JHZHnFE%2Bh1Q%40mail.gmail.com.
